Motor-boat top



De c. 31, 1929- C. Z. KROH MOTOR BOAT TOP Filgd Dec. 28, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 31, 1929. c. 2. KROH moron BOAT TOP Filed Dec. 28,1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 31, 1929 SATES PATENT iQFFICE CALVINz. KROH, or TOLEDO, OHIO MOTOR-BOAT TO]? My inventionhas for its objectto provide a motor boat foldable or one-man top that,

is particularly designed to permit ready'exit through the rear of thetop. It is, as is well known, very desirable to provide free passage-wayfrom one end of a boat to the other. Where tops are used to cover thecoclrpi'ts of boats, it is ordinarily necessary to fold the top toenable one to pass from one end of the 10 boat to the other end. Thisinvariably locates the main bow and the folded parts of the top on thedecking at the rear of the cockpit. If the decking is not of sufficientlength, it invariably locates the folded top over the l hatches locatedabove the engine pit, which interferes with the opening and closing ofthe hatches. hen the top is thus folded, it is necessary for individualsin passingfrom the cockpit to the engine pit, to walk over the foldedtop which, although it may be well folded, is often trampled on and,moreover, the folded top causes tripping of the individual particularlywhere there is any roughness of the sea.

My invention provides a means whereby a ered by the back curtain andthus there is afforded what might be termed a hatchway through the rearend of the top through which individuals may readily pass from thecockpit to the stern end of the boat. Foldable tops are necessarily of alight weight material and must be, particularly when used in connectionwith boats, exceedingly strong and tough as well as elastic, and, by myinvention, this lightness of weight, elasticity and rigidity ofconstruction is maintained. Thus the invention provides an exceedinglyunique accomplishment with reference to top structures.

The invention mayv be contained in cover constructions of differentforms wherein the covers are formed of flexible sheet material that isstretched or spread by foldable frames. To illustrate a practicalapplication of the invention, I have selected a top construction that isparticularly applicable to motor boats, 59 as an example of the variousembodiments of my invention, and shall describe it hereinafter. Thestructure selected is shown in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 of the drawings illustrates a perspective View of a boat to whichthe top, embodying my invention, may be applied and illustrates thegeneral arrangement of the parts and the utility of the construction.Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear part of the top. Fig. 3illustrates a hinged section 60 of the rear or main supporting bow ofthe top when partially opened. Fig. i; illustrates a top side of thesection when closed. Fig. 5 illustrates an inner side view of the bowwhen the hinged section thereof is closed. Fig. 6 illustrates a view ofthe bowwhen the hinged section is wide open. Fig. 7 illustrates aperspective view of the interior of the rear part of the top showing thefree passage-way through the top. Fig. 8 is a view of a section of thebow and illustrates the manner in which the sheet material of the top isconnected to the hinged section of the bow.

In the particular form of construction shown in the drawings, the top 1is supported by a main how 2 to which is connected, in any suitablemanner well known in the art, auxiliary bows 4 that coact with the mainhow 2 to stretch or maintain the sheet material in its stretched or openposition with reference to the cockpit 5 of the boat 6. The boat may beprovided with the usual decking 7 in which may be located the usualhatches 8 for access to the engine. In order to afford free passage-wayfrom one end of the boat tothe other, the top 1 is provided with anopening that forms a hatchway whereby individuals may readily passthrough the top without folding it up and laying it upon the decking 7The top 1 is provided with a curtain 10 that extends from the decking 7,or from an auxiliary rear curtain, over the main how 2 forwardly to apoint where it is secured to the body of the sheet material of the top.The n curtain 10 is, preferably, of a width so as to well overlap theside portions 11 of the body of the sheet material and the stays 12. Thecurtain may besecured in position by suitable buttons 13 of the formcommonly used in securing parts of tops together and may be distributedover these parts as may be desired.

The main bow 2 is provided with a hinged section 15 that may be readilyopened and folded back towards one of the legs 16 of the body whichaffords a free passage-way through the rear side of the top. Preferably,the rear bow is formed quintalateral to provide two parallel sides 17and 18 and two side 19 and 20 that extend substantially in the planes ofhe rear side of the top and the top side of the top. The parallelsurfaces 17 and 18 on the main how are joined by a fifth surface 21 thatis at right angles to the parallel surfaces 17 and 18. The surface 21 islocated at right angles to a line "ending diagonally dow ward into thecockpit and, consequently, this affords means whereby the section may behingedly connected to the body of the main bow and so that thesection'may be swung diagonally downward beneath the top. Thus the hinge22 may be connected to the body of the main bow and to the section 15.Preferably, one of the leaves or Wings of the hinge 22 is provided withflanges 23 that overlap the end portions of the section 15 and one sidepart of the main bow 2 and fit the surfaces 17 and 18. The other end ofthe section 15 is provided with a suitable rigid hasp 24,- that islocated on the surface 21 and is secured to the section 15 and so as tooverlap the end of the other side part of the main bow 2 along thesurface 21.

.The rigid hasp 24: is also provided with flanges 25 that fit thesurfaces 17 and 18 of that end of the section 15 and of the said otherside part of the how 2. l/Vhen the hasp 24 is secured tothe body of thehow 2, the overlapping parts afford an exceedingly rigid constructionclosed.

In'the form of construction shown, the end of the rigid hasp 24 may beprovided with an opening 26 and a thumb screw 27 may be inserted throughthe opening 26 and screwed into the opening 29 formed in the end of oneof the side parts of the main bow 2. The thumb screw 27 may be chainedto the section 1.5 or to the hasp 2 1 by means of the chain 28. When,therefore, the section 15 is closed and. secured by the thumb screw 27,the bow 2 will be formed complete for retention of the curtain 10 in itsposition when it is replaced over the section and drawn down and securedin position relative to the stays 12 by means of the buttons 13.

In order to provide a means for temporarily securing the sectionindependent of the screw 27, the ends of the section 15 and of the partsof the how 2, are cut on the diagonal to form the diagonally locatedsurfaces 35 that are inclined downwardly and inwardlv with respect tothe interior of the top. IVhen, therefore, the section 15 is closed, theparts of the body of the how 2 may be sprung laterally whereby thecorners of the section, v

and a part of the bow, will pass each other and the elasticity of theconnected bows and the sheet material will cause its return, and the endsurfaces of the section 15 and the parts of the main bow willinterengage and prevent the section 15 from dropping from its position,notwithstanding the omission of the insertion of the thumb screw 27.

The curtain 10 may be drawn over the section 15 when it is desired toclose the passageway through the rear end of the top. The curtain 10 maybe provided with a flap 36. As shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, the flap36 may then be drawn around the under side of the section 15 and the endof the parts of the how 2 and may be secured by suitable 7 buttonslocated on one of the inner surfaces, such as the surface 21 of the bow2 and of its section 15.

I claim:

1. In a foldable top for beats, a plurality of bows, a sheet materialspread by the hows, the rear bow having a section, a hinge forconnecting one end of the section to the body of the last named bow, thehinge having a pair of flanges for overlapping the joint ends of r thesection and the body of the bow, the other end of the section havingarigid hasp for connecting the said other end to the body of the bow,the hasp having flanges for overlapping the ends of the section and thebody of the bow at the hasp, the last named end of the section and theend of the part of the body of the bow located at the hasp formed tohave inclined surfaces that extend diagonally downward and inwardly withrespect to the interior of the top for interconnecting the section withthe body of the bow by the elasticity of the top, the top side of thetop and the rear side of the top having an opening and a curtain securednear the forward edge of the opening and extending rearwardly over thesection and downwardly to cover the said opening, a flap connected tothe curtain, means for connecting the flap to the section to secure thecurtain to the bow, and means for securing the edges of the curtain tothe body of the sheet material.

2. In a foldable top for boats, a bow, a sheet material spread by thebow, the sheetmaterial having an opening, a curtain covering theopening, the bow having a removable section to afford a free passage-waythrough the top.

3. In a foldable top for boats, a plurality of bows, a sheet materialspread by the bows and having an opening, one of the bows having aremovable section hingedly connected at one end to the body of the bow,means for securing the other end of the section to the body of the bow,a curtain covering an opening formed in the top to provide a freepassage-way for individuals through the top part of the top and the rearside of the top.

4. In a foldable top for boats, a plurality of bows, a sheet materialspread by the bows, one of the bows having a hingedly connected section,means for securing one end of the section to the body of the last namedbow, the sheet material having an opening through the top part of thetop, and a curtain extending from the top side of the top and over thesection of the bow to close the opening.

5. In a foldable top for boats, a plurality of bows, a sheet materialspread by the bows, one of the bows having a hingedly connected section,means for securing one end of the section to the body of the last namedbow, the sheet material having an openingthrough the top side of the topand the rear side of the top, a curtain extending from the top side ofthe top and over the section of the bow and over a part of the rear sideof the top to close said opening.

6. In a 'l'oldable top for boats, a plurality of bows, a sheet materialspread by the bows,

the rear bow having a removable section,

means for connecting the ends of the section to the body of the bow, thesheet material having an opening in the top side of the top and the rearside of the top, and a curtain connected near the forward edge of theopening and extending over the section, and means for securing thecurtain to the body sheet material of the top and to the section.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

CALVIN Z. KROH.

